Brent Musburger Takes Heat For Joe Mixon Comments, Then Defends Himself

Brent Musburger, according to a lot of folks, put his foot in his mouth Monday … and then he doubled down.

The ESPN broadcaster came under fire on social media during the Sugar Bowl broadcast for his comments about University of Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon. The NFL hopeful was playing his first game since video was released showing Mixon punching a female in the face at a restaurant.

Early in the game, Musburger made the following comments about Mixon.

As you can see in that tweet — “This is embarrassing” — the social media backlash began right away. Said backlash apparently got back to Musburger, who circled back later in the broadcast and attempted to clarify his comments.

The incident with Mixon happened in 2014, leading to a season-long suspension. He eventually returned to the team and was a key member of an OU squad that could finish in the top five. WalterFootball.com ranks Mixon as the No. 7 running back in the potential 2017 NFL Draft class.

However, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled last month the video should be released to the public. The video eventually came out, and it obviously was disturbing, which led to an outcry from many who thought Mixon’s punishment wasn’t strong enough or that the Sooners should suspend him for the Sugar Bowl.

Mixon ran for 91 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns and also caught five passes for 89 yards in OU’s 35-19 win over Auburn.

H/t to Yahoo! Sports
Thumbnail photo via Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports Images